Mechanism- eor supplying fastenings



May 26, 1931. w..'r. B. ROBERTS 1,806,883

\ MECHANISM FOR SUPPLY'ING FASTENINGS Original Filed Nov. 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 26, 1931. w. T. B. ROBERTS MECHANISM FOR SUPPLYING FASTENINGS- Original Filed Nov. 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT crews WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGHAM RGBERTS, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR '10 UNITED SHOE MACHENER-Y COBZPGR-IIION, QF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF JERSEY' MECHANISM FOR SUPPLYING FASTENINGS Original application filed November 13, 1922, Serial No. 600,497, and

in Great Britain December 5, 1921.

Divided and thisapplication filed February 17, 1828. Serial No. 255,163.

ranged to operate in a uniform manner on different kinds of work. Itis convenient that such a machine should be capable of arrangement for operation either "by mechanical or by manual power, and that aminimum of exertion should be required when it is arranged for manual operation. Such a machine is illustrated in applicants copending application for United States Letters Patent- Serial No. 600,497, filed November 13, 1922, of which this application is a division.

An object of the present invention isto provide a machine of the above type with a compact and easily operated device whereby l astcnings of any one of several dlffe'rent sizes or kinds may be fed to the fastening inserting mechanism.

Quick ad]ustment to set the machine to use any one of several slzes or klnds oi: fastenings is secured 1n the llustrated machine by a novel arrangement by which fastenings may 7 be supplied to a single fastenmg-msertmg means from any one ofa row or seriesof hoppers, as, forexample. by mounting the hoppers to be moved bodily as a unit. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a

: frame carryingithe hoppers is mounted on a shaft extend ng across the machine, in such a manner as to. slide on the shaft to place selectively any desired hopper in operative position. Eachhopper is provided with a i raceway and when the desired hopper is in operative position, its raceway is in co-operative relation with a raceway leading to the fastening inserting mechanism. This co- I operative relation is established in the illustrated' machine by means by which a fastening is transferred from one raceway to the other.

In order to bring the frame carrying the hoppers into the desired position, the frame can be rocked on the shaft todisengage that one of the hoppers already in operative position as a preliminary to the described sliding movement, and after the hoppers have been slid to bring the raceway of the desired hopper into position, the frame can he rocked in the opposite direction so that devices carried by the selected hopper will be engaged respectively with (1) a device for maintaining the hopper and the fastening-insert means in proper c'o-operativc relation, with (2) means for feeding fastenings from the hopper, and with (3) a member for supplying fastenings to the fz' stening-feeding means.

In order that fastenings maybe available as soon as any selected hopper has been placed in operative position, mechanisms are constructed and arranged, in accordance with the invention, to keep the raceways that are associated with the hoppers sufiiciently filled with fastenings, after once having been supplied therewith. In the illustrated construction, this is accomplished by having the fastening separators arranged to close the outlets of all raceways while the hoppers are being shifted and to close the outlets of all idle raceways at all times. Furthermore, each sepa r'ator, as it closes its respective raceway, is arranged to hold the first or lowermost fastening of that raceway. hen the separator is operated which is associated with the raceway and hopper that are in operative position, a fastening from that raceway is thus immediately fed from its separator to the inserting mechanism. Y

In the interest of compactness, the fast-euings in the illustrated construction are pushed up along raceways that extend up-c In the following description and in the claims, the raceways associatedwith the hoppers have been designated as delivery raceways and the raceway associated with the fastening inserting mechanism has been designated a feed raceway.

The novel features of the above and other parts and combinations of parts are explained in the following description of the en'ibodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section on the line 11 of Fig. 2, showing the head of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, also showing the head of. the machine; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively a top plan view, a front elevation and a. side elevation showing one of the fastening feeding devices.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a work support or horn 2O rotatably mounted on a vertical post fixed in the base or pedestal of the machine, as illustrated in said copending application. A head 26, which supports various parts of the operating mechanism, is vertically movable to bring a nail throat or nozzle 28 carried by the head into engagement with the upper surface of the work on the work support 20. Thus the nail throat 28 serves both as a work holding member and as a fastening positioning device in co-operation with the verticallvstationary work support 20.

The head 26 is guided in its vertical movement by a vertical shaft 30 which extends through a bearing 32 in the head 26 and through a similar bearing (not shown) in the base. The head is also guided by a vert cal rod 84 situated behind the shaft 30, which is fixed in a bracket 36, forming the upper part of the head, and which passes through a lug 38 at the bottom of the head and through a bearing in the column or base of the machine.

A member 40 carrying a nail driver 42 is fixed to the upper end of the vertical shaft 30 and has a rearwardly extending lug 44 through which passes the vertical rod 34. A spring 46 surrounding rod 34 and bearing against the lower face of lug 44 on driver carrier 40 and against the upper face of lug 38 at the bottom of head. 26, urges member 40 upwardly until the upper face of lug 44 encounters the lower face of a pro ecting portion 48 of the bracket 86 in which rod 34 is fixed. A yielding connection is thus created between the member 40 and head 26. A verticallv disposed plate 50 on the front of memher 40 slides in a vertical groove in head 26 to guide member 40 in its vertical movement.

Toward the rear of bracket 36 and above the vertical rod 34 are upstanding lugs 52 in which is fixed a horizontal shaft 54 extend ing transversely across the machine. Slidingly and tiltably mounted on this shaft is a unit consisting of a series of rigidly and permanently connected nail hoppers 56 which, toward the front of the machine, is provided with a horizontal member 58 resting on a corresponding horizontal member 60 formed on the bracket 36. This unit provides a number of supply receptacles (in this instance 5) in each of which may be placed nails different in character from those placed in the other receptacles. Each of these supply receptacles is closed at the top by a lid 62 hinged at the rear on a horizontal rod 64 and shaped at the front to provide a spring latch 66 engaging a groove formed on the upper front walls. The bottoms of the receptacles are curved from the rear downwardly, and forwardly are inclined rectilinearly as at 68, at an angle of substantially 40 degrees to the horizontal plane, to the front vertical walls 70. The upwardly and forwardly inclined portions 68 have vertically disposed passages 7 2 to form delivery raceways in which the nails are suspended by their heads in the usual manner. These raceways are covered by plates 7 4 fixed in receptacles 56 to hold up the mass of nails in the receptacles while leaving room beneath the plates 74 for the passage upwardly of the heads of the nails along each raceway withoutinterfercnce from the weight of the nails above. Plates 74 have openings 7 6 at their rear ends to allow the nails to fall onto the raccways 72. From the top of the inclines 68, each of the delivery raceways extends horizontally for a short distance (as at 78) forwardly of the front wall of the corresponding receptacle 56, and is then downwardly inclined, as at 80, at an angle of ap proximately 45 degrees. The nails are delivered from the downwardly inclined portions 80, as will be described later.

Opposite the end of each of the above described delivery raceways is a separator comprising a rectangular block 82 sl'dingly mounted on a horizontal rod 84 ex ending across the front of and below the ends of the delivery raceways 72 and carried in bosses 88 extending from the raceways. Blocks 82 are slotted downwardly from their top faces to embrace a second rod 86, parallel to and above the rod 84, and also supported in the bosses By partly withdrawing rod 84, any of the separators or blocks 82 may readily be removed by reason of its slotted connection with rod 86 which acts as a guide for the blocks. Each of the blocks 82 is urged to the right (Fig. 1) into engagement with one of the bosses 83 by a light spring 88 interposed between the block and the other adjacent boss, and, when the blocks are in this position, a vertical groove 90 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) formed in the rear face of each block is positioned in alinement with the end portion 80 of its raceway 7 2, so as to receive the end top surface of the separatorbloc'k 82;

Extending forwardly from the front face of each separator or block 82 is a projection,

such as a stud 92, adapted to engage the slotted upper'end of a separator arm 94 pivoted on head 26. When it is desired to insert nails of a different character from those previously inserted, the unit of hoppers or receptacles 56 is tilted upwardly about the horizontal rod 54 on which it is mounted, thereby raising the stud 92" on that separator block 82, which has previously been in operative position, out of theslot in separator arm 94. The unit of hoppers is then slid along. rod 54 to bring the stud 92 of another separator 82 into position over the slotted arm. The hoppers are then lowered to'position the stud in engagement with arm 94 tooperate the corresponding separator to furnish nails of a different character. The selected hopper and its delivery raceway are maintained in co-operative relation with the fastening inserting mechanism, including the feed raceway, by a plate 96 (Fig. 2) fixed on head 26 which enters the raceway slit from the under side of the front end of the raceway.

VVit'h a selected hopper thus in co-operative relation with 'the fastening inserting mechanism, when themachine is operated the separator is moved to the left against the resistance 'of'its spring 88 and the groove in its rear face, with a nail suspended therein, comes intoalinement with a vertical groove 98 (Figs. 1 and 3) formed'in the front face of the hopper casting. The vertical groove 98, with the separator, formsa vertical raceway which is in alinement with, and communicates with, a nail feed raceway or tube 100 arranged to communicate in turn with the nail throat 28 The nail in the groove 90 in the separator is discharged therefrom into the vertical raceway thus formed, by a cam surface 102 (Fig. 3) formed on a depending end portionof a plate 104 which extends upwardly and rearwardly to act as. a coverfor the exposed portion 80 of the raceway slit. A strip 106, extending in front of the group of hoppers, covers the exposed portions 7 8 of all of the raceways, this strip being provided with slots so that, by moving thestrip lengthwise, the slots may be moved into alinement with the raceways to permit a wire or other implement to be inserted in any raceway to remove about or misformed nail.

The separator arm 94 is pivoted on a horizontal stud 108 fixedin head 26, and also mounted on this stud and frictionally connected with the separator arm is a forked arm 110. 7 Within the fork of the lat/ K51 511311 is positioned a stud 112 (Fig. 1) carried by the above described nail "driving member 40,

95 which in i tsdownward and upward movements, oscillates separator arm 94 through engagement with the forked arm to actuate the separator.

The driver carrier 40 is connected by a link 114 with an arm 116 carried by a rock shaft 118 mounted in a bearing. in head 26 and extending across the machine. Frictionally connected. to the opposite end of this shaft is a rearwardly extending arm 120 which is limited in its movement by stops 122 and 124 formed on the head above and below the arm. Any excess movement which may be given'to the arm 120 over that necessary for it to reach the stops causes the arm 120'to slip with respect to the rock shaft 118 through the frictional connection; Arm 120 is pivotally connected at its rear end to the lower end of an upwardly extending bar orfinger 126, which may conveniently be designated as a nail pusher. The upper end of the nail pusher 126 is arranged to enter and pass along the upwardly and forwardly inclined portion of that delivery raceway slit 7 2 which is in operative position, to engage a single nail of a train of nails in the slit and push the train forwardly and upwardly on its journey toward the separator. If any undue resistance is met by the nail pusher 126 in pushing the nails, the above-mentioned frictional connection slips and prevents injury to the machine or to the nails. A spring 128 is connected at one end to arm 120 and at the otherend to the bar 126 below its point of pivotal connection and urges the upper end of thebar rearwardly against a guide surface 130 formed on the bracket 36. The bar'126 has near its upper end a laterally extending pin 132 which, when the bar is moved upwards during the descent of driving member 40, engages the under, side of the upwardly and forwardly inclined portion of the dclivery'race way 7 2, and causes the upper end of bar 126 to pass along the slit, pushing ahead of it the train of nails up the raceway where the nails then pass along the horizontal portion 78 and then move down the inclined portion 80, the first or lowermost being stopped when it enters the groove 90 in the separator block. The bar 126 has pivotally connected to it, above its pivotal connection to arm 120, a finger or nail a"". tator 134 which is urged rearwardly against the guide surface 130 by aspring 136. Thus as bar 126 is moved upwardly, the upper end of finger 134 enters the opening 76- and passes up into the nail hopper 56 to agitate the mass of nails in the receptacle andcause some of scribed above. At the lower end of the throat there is pivoted a finger 146 which is spring pressed into the driver passage to prevent a nail delivered to the throat from falling out of the driver passage. The extent of the downward movement of the nail driving member 40 is determined by an adjustable screw shown at 1 18 in Figures 1 and 2, and which is arranged to engage a face 150 on head 26. A thin plate 152 is pivoted on head 26 and may be swung into position over the face 150 into the path of screw 14:8. The arrangement is such that when the plate 152 is swung beneath screw 148, the heads of the nails will be driven flush witn the surface of the work, but, if the plate is swung back from under screw 148, the nails will be driven slightly below the surface of the work.

In the operation of the mechanism, the nail driving member 40 descends and carries with it the head 26 until the nail throat 28 engages the upper surface of the work positioned on the work support. The member 40 then continues to descend against the resistance of spring 4-6 and-raises the nail pusher 126 which enters the raceway slit 72 and pushes the nails upward along the raceway while, at the same time, the nail agitator 134: on the pusher enters the opening 76 and, mov- 3 ing upwardly, agitates the mass of nails in the receptacle. the member nears the end of its driving stroke, stud 112 carried thereby engages the lower arm of the forked arm 110 connected to the separator arm 94 and rocks the separator arm to move one of the separator blocks 82 from nail receiving position to nail delivering position. A nail is thus delivered to the throat 28 when the driver 42 is at the lower limit of its driving stroke, and rests against the side of the driver until the driver is raised, when the nail passes into the driver passage 142 where it is retained by a finger 1 1-6. When the nail driving member is raised, the separator block 82 is returned by engagement of stud 112 with the upper arm of forked arm 110.

\Vhile my invention has been described as embodied in a fastening inserting machine which is well adapted for use in repairing shoes, it is not my intention to limit its scope by such description or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims, as in many respects it may be embodied in fastening inserting machines of other types, and some features are of use in machines other than fastening inserting machines.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a feed raceway, a plurality of parallel delivery raceways, a source of supply of loose fcstenlngs for each delivery raceway, means for supporting the feed raceway and the delivery raceways constructed and arranged to permit any of the delivery raceways to be brought into co-operative relation with the feed raceway, automatically operating means for closing the delivery ends of the delivery raceways during said relative movement, fastening inserting mechanism, and means controlled by said inserting mechanism, for opening the delivery end of the operatively connected delivery raceway.

2. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a feed raccway, a plurality of delivery raceways, the feed raceway and the delivery raceway being mounted for movement relatively to each other to bring any one of the delivery raceways into cooperative relation with the feed raceway, a source of supply of loose fastenings for each delivery raceway, and means individual to each raceway for retaining fastenings in the delivery raceways during said relative movement and for separating fastenings from the selected raceway and transferring them to the feed raceway.

3. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a feed race- Way, a row of parallel delivery raceways, a hopper associated with each delivery raceway, means for supporting the hoppers and delivery raceways constructed and arranged to permit them to be moved as a unit to bring selectively any one of the delivery raceways into co-operative relation with the feed raceway, spring controlled means for retaining fastenings in the delivery raceways during said movement, fastening inserting mechanism, and means, controlled by said inserting mechanism, for permitting fastenings to pass from the operatively connected delivery raceway to the feed raceway.

4. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a raceway, a series of rigidly and permanently connected hoppers mounted for sliding movement as a unit back and forth across one end of the raceway so that an intermediate or either end hopper can be moved into co-operative relation with the raceway, and means for holding the hoppers in the position to which they have been moved.

5. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, fastening inserting means, a horizontally stationary raceway to supply fastenings thereto, a unit comprising a series of rigidly and permanently connected hoppers mounted in a row and constructed and arranged to be moved as a unit across the end of the raceway to bring an intermediate or either end hopper into co-operative relation with the raceway to supply fastenings to the raceway, and means for holding the hoppers in the position to which they have been moved.

6. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a feed raceway, an operating member,a plurality of parallel delivery raceways, and a separator associated with each delivery raceway, the delivery raceways and the separators being mounted for movement relatively to the feed raceway and the operating member to permit any one of the delivery raceways to be brought into co-operative relation with the feed raceway and simultaneously to place the operating member and the separator for the selected delivery raceway in co-operative relationship.

7. A nailing machine having, in combination, a nail-feeding raceway, a plurality of parallel delivery raceways each comprising a slot for the shanks of the nails and means to support their heads, and a separator associated with each delivery raceway andarranged for movement perpendicularly to the shanks of nails therein, the feeding raceway and the delivery raceways and separators being mounted for relative movement to bring any one of the delivery raceways into co-operative relation with the feeding raceway.

8. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a feed raceway, an operating member ad]acent to the raceway, a plurality of hoppers mounted for simultaneous movement to bring selectively any hopper into co-operativ'e relation with the raceway, and a transversely sliding sep' arator mounted on each hopper and so constructed and arranged that the separator of the selected hopper is placed in position to be operated by said member.

9. A machine having mechanism for sup plying fastenings, comprising a feed raceway, an operating member ad acent to sa1d raceway, a plurality of hoppers, a delivery raceway carried by each hopper, and a sepaator constructed and arranged for sliding movement across the end of each delivery 'aceway, the delivery raceways belng mounted for movement relatively to the feed raceway with consequent alinement of the corresponding separator and the operating member.

10. A machine having mechanism for sup plying fastenings, comprising a feed raceway, an operating member ad acent to said raceway, a plurality of hoppers, a delivery raceway carried by each hopper, a separator constructed and arranged for sliding movement across the end of each delivery raceway to retain fastenings in said delivery raceways, and a support for the delivery raceways and hoppers constructed and arranged to facilitate the bringing of any delivery raceway into co-operative relation with the feed raceway and simultaneously alming the corresponding separator and the operating member to permit fastenmgs to be fed from the selected raceway through 1ts separator to the feed raceway.

11. A nailing machine having, in combination, a nail-feeding raceway, an operating member adjacent to said raceway, a plurality .of hoppers, a delivery raceway carried by .each hopper and comprising spaced walls forming a slot for the shanks of the nails and supporting thenails by their heads, and a separator constructed and arranged for sliding movement across the end of each delivery raceway perpendicularly to the shanks of the nails, the delivery raceways being mounted for movement relatively ,to the nailfeedingraceway so that any delivery raceway can be brought into co-operative relation with the nail feeding raceway and the corresponding separator and the operating member simultaneously alined.

12. A fastening-inserting machine having, incombination, a head comprising fasteninginserting mechanism, a guide to direct fastenings into position for insertion thereby, a shaft arranged across the head, a plurality of supply receptacles mounted on .the shaft for swinging movement and forsliding movement to place any desired supply receptacle in position todeliver fastenings to the guide,

a fastening-delivering device, and operating means therefor, the fastening delivery device and its operating means being arranged for engagement with and disengagement from each other by swinging movement of the selected receptacle.

13. A fastening-inserting machine having, in combination, a head comprising fasteninginserting mechanism, a guide to direct fastenings into position for insertion thereby, a shaft arranged across the head, a plurality of supply receptacles mounted .on the shaft for swinging movement and for sliding movement to place any desired supply receptacle in position to deliver fastenings to the guide, a fastening-delivering device, operating means therefor, the fastening delivering device and its operating means being arranged for engagement with and disengagement from each other by swinging movement of the selected receptacle, and means arranged to aline with the selected receptacle and to feed fastenmgsmto position for delivery by said. device.

14. A machine'having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a raceway, a member movable longitudinally of said raceway, to engage a single fastening of a train of fastenings and push said'train along the raceway, and a frictional connection, through whichslippage may occur when undue resistance is met, for moving said member.

15. A machine having mechanism for sup plying fastenings comprising a nail hopper, a raceway therein, a nail agitator movable upwardly through theraceway, and a frictional connection, through which slippage may occur when undue resistance is met, for moving said agitator.

16. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a raceway, a nail pusher movable in said raceway to convey the nails up the raceway to a pointwhere they will be discharged therefrom, and a frictional connection, through which slippage may occur when undue resistance is met, for moving said pusher.

17. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a nail hopper, a raceway therein, a nail pusher movable in said raceway to convey the nails up the raceway to a point where they will be discharged therefrom, and means for operating said nail pusher, said means being constructed and arranged to slip when the nail pusher meets an undue resistance.

18. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings comprising a nail hopper, a raceway therein, a frictionally driven nail agitator movable upwardly through the raceway, and a frictionally driven nail pusher also movable in said raceway to convey the nails along the raceway.

19. A machine having mechanism for supplying fastenings, comprising a nail hopper, an upwardly inclined raceway therein, a cover plate over the upper portion of the raceway constructed and arranged to relieve nails in the upper part of the raceway from the pressure of the nails in the hopper, and a nail pusher movable in said raceway to convey the nails up the raceway to a point where they will be discharged therefrom.

20. A machine having mechanism "for supplying fastenings, comprising a nail hopper, a raceway therein, a cover plate over the upper portion of the raceway, a nail agitator movable upwardly through the lower portion of the raceway, and a nail pusher also movable in said raceway to convey the nails up the raceway to a point where they will be discharged therefrom.

A machine having mechanism for supplying iastenings, comprising a nail hopper, a raceway therein, a cover plate over the upper portion of the raceway, a nail agitator movable upwardly through the lower portion of the raceway, and a frictionally driven nail pusher also movable in said raceway to convey the nails up the race way to a point where they will be discharged therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKlNGi-lAM ROEZTRTS. 

